Patents Examined by Thomas S Giampaolo, II
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Patent number: 11934115Abstract: A transport device includes: a belt member that runs in a loop to transport an object to be transported, the belt member having an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface; a rotary member that is pressed against one of the outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the belt member and that is movable in a predetermined moving direction; and a pressing member that presses the rotary member toward the one of the outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the belt member and that moves in the moving direction while maintaining the angle thereof with respect to the moving direction when the rotary member moves in the moving direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Kazuya Fukunaga, Junji Hanatani, Kiichiro Iijima
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Patent number: 11934123Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressing roller and a heating part. The heating part includes a heater, a plurality of temperature sensors, a heater holding member and a sensor holding member. The sensor holding member holds the temperature sensors between the heater holding member and the sensor holding member. The heater holding member has observation holes through which the heater is exposed. The heater holding member has a guide part which positions the sensor holding member with respect to the heater holding member. The sensor holding member has an engagement part engaged with the guide part. The sensor holding member holds each of the temperature sensors at a position corresponding to each of the observation holes by engagement of the engagement part with the guide part.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Atsushi Kohama, Yuhiro Sakai
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Patent number: 11934118Abstract: A fuser configured to nip a sheet by a heating member and a pressurizing member and to thermally fix an image formed in a toner on the sheet, is provided. The fuser includes a supporting member, a temperature sensor, and a sensor cover. The supporting member supports the heating member. The temperature sensor is attached to the supporting member and is configured to detect a temperature of the heating member without contacting the heating member. The sensor cover is located on a side of the temperature sensor opposite to the heating member to cover the temperature sensor. The sensor cover includes a base having an opening at an upper position with respect to the temperature sensor and a windshield wall located in adjacent to the base. The windshield wall protrudes upward and extends in a lengthwise direction for the heating member.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazuna Taguchi, Mingguang Zhang
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Patent number: 11934124Abstract: A heater assembly includes a tubular body, a heater, and a support member. The tubular body is formed in a tubular shape and has a length that extends longitudinally. The heater is received within the tubular body. The heater provides thermal energy in response to being electrically energized. The heater includes a first surface side extending laterally and longitudinally along an inner peripheral surface of the tubular body. The heater includes n electrical contact, through which electrical energy is supplied to the heater. The support member is coupled to the heater and extends longitudinally. The support member defines an opening that exposes the electrical contact. The support member is configured to bend to facilitate coupling the heater to the support member.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Toshiya Inomata
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Patent number: 11927899Abstract: In an endless belt, the absolute value of an electrostatic capacitance C and the absolute value of an alternating-current resistance Z when an alternating voltage of 1 Vp-p is applied in a frequency range of from 10000 Hz to 0.1 mHz from a high frequency side satisfy Formula (1) below, and an alternating-current resistance Z0.63 when an alternating voltage of 1 Vp-p with a frequency of 0.63 Hz is applied satisfies Formula (2) below. Moreover, an alternating-current resistance Z630 when an alternating voltage of 1 Vp-p with a frequency of 630 Hz is applied satisfies Formula (3) below: log10 C?3.18×log10 Z?30.27;??Formula (1): 6.3?log10 Z0.63?6.9; and??Formula (2): 9.1?log10 Z630?9.9.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2022Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Satoya Sugiura, Minoru Rokutan, Makoto Ochiai, Shogo Hayashi, Masato Furukawa
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Patent number: 11921447Abstract: A heating device includes a cylindrical body with a hollow interior and a heater inside the hollow interior. A first surface of the heater faces the inner surface of the cylindrical body. A heat transfer member is on a second surface of the heater. A grease is between the heater and the heat transfer member. A support member is provided including a first portion fixed to the second surface of the heater and a second portion contacting a surface of the heat transfer member. The support member includes a third portion between the first and second portions. The third portion does not contact the second surface of the heater between the first and second portions and provides a space for grease from between the heater and the heat transfer member to accumulate.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Sasuke Endo
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Patent number: 11906916Abstract: A heating device includes a planar heater, a rotator, a pressure rotator, a heating device frame, a resistor, and a discharger. The pressure rotator has a conductive outer surface and presses the rotator. The heating device frame holds the pressure rotator. The discharger is in contact with the conductive outer surface of the pressure rotator and grounded via the resistor and the heating device frame.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2022Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yuusuke Furuichi, Hiroshi Seo, Tomoya Adachi, Daisuke Hirano
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Patent number: 11892788Abstract: A heating device includes a heating roller that includes a resistance heating layer, and a connection power feeder that is mounted on an end portion of the heating roller, is connected to the resistance heating layer, and feeds power to the resistance heating layer, in which the connection power feeder includes an annular frame that is disposed to be concentric with the heating roller and is conductively connected to the resistance heating layer, a power feed shaft of which a portion is disposed in the frame and which feeds power, plural rolling bodies that roll while being in conductive contact with an inner peripheral surface of the frame and an outer peripheral surface of the power feed shaft, and a non-conductive cover that holds and covers the frame and the rolling bodies in a state where a portion excluding the portion of the power feed shaft is exposed, and the connection power feeder excluding the power feed shaft is mounted on the heating roller so as to be integrally rotated with the heating roller.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2022Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Takashi Ohashi, Takashi Matsubara, Takuma Ishihara
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Patent number: 11886134Abstract: A heating device includes a heater, a safety device, and a holder. The safety device has a heat-sensitive surface facing the heater. The safety device cuts off power supply to the heater in response to reaching a temperature of the heat-sensitive surface to be equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. The holder holds the heater. The holder has a through hole that opens toward the heater and includes a step portion disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the through hole. The step portion supports an end of the heat-sensitive surface such that a central portion of the heat-sensitive surface of the safety device is not in contact with the heater.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2022Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Hitoshi Fujiwara
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Patent number: 11880148Abstract: A heating device includes: a heating unit configured to heat a transported material being transported in a transport direction in a non-contact manner with respect to the transported material; and a facing portion that is disposed on a side opposite to the heating unit with respect to the transported material and faces the heating unit in a facing direction intersecting the transport direction, wherein a length of the heating unit in the transport direction is longer than a length of the facing portion in the transport direction, or a length of the heating unit in an intersecting direction intersecting the transport direction and the facing direction is longer than a length of the facing portion in the intersecting direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2021Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Tetsuro Kodera, Yoshiki Shimodaira, Kosuke Yamada, Masato Yamashita, Takayuki Yamashita
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Patent number: 11874618Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a fixing portion, and a control portion. The fixing portion forms a nip portion to nip a recording material and includes heat-generating elements along a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the recording material. The fixing portion fixes the image on the recording material using heat. The image forming apparatus changes a control target temperature for each heating area heated by each of the heat-generating elements in accordance with the image to be formed on the recording material. When forming the image after a jam clearing process in which the recording material nipped in the nip portion is removed, the control portion changes a distribution of a control target temperature of the whole heater in the direction in which the heat-generating elements are aligned to a second distribution different from a first distribution corresponding to the image.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2022Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Noriaki Sato
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Patent number: 11868060Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing current detecting portion, a control portion, and a deviation detecting portion. The developing current detecting portion detects a developing current that flows between a developing device and a photoconductor drum during development of an electrostatic latent image. The control portion causes the exposure device to form electrostatic latent images of at least two patch images at different positions from each other and at different timings from each other in a main scanning direction. The deviation detecting portion detects deviation of one of the exposure device and the photoconductor drum with respect to the other based on a detection timing at which the developing current is detected during development of the electrostatic latent images of the at least two patch images.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Masaru Watanabe, Kanako Kikuchi, Yasuaki Sakamoto, Ayato Morikami, Yuki Nakaiwa, Keisuke Oba, Koji Uno, Takuji Watanabe
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Patent number: 11860557Abstract: In an example, a print apparatus comprises an intermediate transfer member to receive thermoplastic print agent from a photoconductive surface, a rotatably mounted endless cleaning surface to receive a layer of thermoplastic print agent from the intermediate transfer member and a heater, to heat the endless cleaning surface. The endless cleaning surface may be to engage with the intermediate transfer member when heated to transfer residue from the intermediate transfer member to the layer of thermoplastic print agent on the endless cleaning surface.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.Inventors: Amir Kedem, Michael Kokotov, Elina Ploshnik, Guy Nesher, Alex Feygelman, Eran Shiran, Nadav Shalem, Chen Talmor
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Patent number: 11852994Abstract: The fixing device includes a fixing member, a heat source, a pressure member, a nip forming member, and a heat equalizing member. The heat equalizing member covers a face of the nip forming member, the face facing the fixing member, and transfers heat in an axial direction of the fixing member. The fixing member includes at least a tubular base made of metal and a sliding layer made of heat resistant resin on an inner circumferential surface of the base. The heat equalizing member made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy includes an alumite layer on a surface facing an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member. A plurality of micropores in the alumite layer is filled with a solid lubricant having a coefficient of friction lower than that of the alumite layer. The alumite layer has a thickness smaller than that of the sliding layer of the fixing member.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2020Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Ippei Fujimoto
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Patent number: 11846903Abstract: A belt device includes a secured member, a belt, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The belt has an endless shape and slides on a slide surface of the secured member. The belt has an inner portion having an elastic power of 55% or more and a sliding surface sliding on the slide surface of the secured member. The sliding surface has a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the slide surface of the secured member. The pressure rotator presses the secured member via the belt to form a nip between the belt and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is interposed between the sliding surface of the belt and the slide surface of the secured member.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Daisuke Inoue, Yuusuke Furuichi, Hiroyuki Shimada, Yukimichi Someya, Satoshi Tohkai, Yumiko Hayashi
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Patent number: 11835896Abstract: A fixing device includes a substrate, a first heat generator, a second heat generator with a length in a longitudinal direction of the substrate equal to a length of the first heat generator; and a third heat generator with a length shorter than the lengths of the first and second heat generators, a soaking member with a positioning portion in the longitudinal direction. In a short side direction of the substrate, the first heat generator is arranged at one end side, the second heat generator is arranged at the other end side, and the third heat generator is arranged between the first and second heat generators. The soaking member is arranged between the heater and a holder in a thickness direction. As seen in the short side direction, the positioning portion is positioned outside of an area corresponding to the third heat generator and inside of an area corresponding to the first heat generator.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2022Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsuguhiro Yoshida, Kohei Wakatsu
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Patent number: 11822273Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressurizing member, a charging portion, and a control portion. The fixing member rotates while being heated. The pressurizing member forms a nip portion between itself and a surface of the fixing member in such a way as to hold a sheet therebetween and conveys the sheet by rotating together with the fixing member, wherein an image of toner has been formed on the sheet. The charging portion electrically charges the surface of the fixing member to a polarity that is same as a charging polarity of the toner by supplying a charging current to a pair of electrodes that is disposed to face the surface of the fixing member. The control portion derives an index value of a charge amount of the toner on the sheet, and adjusts the charging current based on the index value.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2022Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Einosuke Kikuchi, Kuniaki Nakano
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Patent number: 11809110Abstract: A fixing member is supported so as to be displaceable in a crossing direction that crosses a sheet conveying direction. A pressure member rotationally drives the fixing member by being rotationally driven. A motor rotationally drives the pressure member. A biasing mechanism elastically biases the fixing member toward the pressure member. A sheet detection portion detects a sheet at a first position and a second position. The first position is a position between a mechanism that feeds the sheet to a fixing position and the fixing position in the conveyance path. The second position is a position between the fixing position and a mechanism that takes over conveyance of the sheet from the fixing device. A control device times a time required for detection results from the sheet detection portion to show a predetermined change, and controls a rotational speed of the motor according to the timed time.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2022Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Junta Maenishi, Fumito Nakamoto, Hirotaka Ishida, Son Rai
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Patent number: 11803148Abstract: An electrothermal heating device for heating a print medium includes an endless belt, a first electrode and a second electrode. The endless belt rotates in a rotational direction about a rotation axis that defines an axial direction, so as to generate heat when the endless belt rotates and is supplied with power. The endless belt includes a base portion made of a nanocomposite material having a carbon filler. The first and second electrodes are in contact with the base portion of the endless belt. The first and second electrodes extend in the axial direction of the endless belt, and are spaced apart in the rotational direction of the endless belt. A volume resistivity of the base portion of the endless belt in the rotational direction is less than a volume resistivity of the base portion in the axial direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2020Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventor: Manabu Ono
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Patent number: 11803144Abstract: A heating unit includes a heater including a substrate and a resistance heating element provided on the substrate, an endless belt configured to rotate around the heater, a thermostat configured to interrupt energization to the resistance heating element when the heater is abnormally increased in temperature, the thermostat having a heat sensitive surface and a heat-insulating member disposed between the thermostat and the heater. The heat-insulating member has a heat conductivity less than that of a material constituting the heat sensitive surface. The heat sensitive surface of the thermostat is in contact with the heat-insulating member.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2022Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yuichi Ikeno, Kei Ishida, Yasuhiro Maruyama